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Ethernet to Tesla Solar Inverter?

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RHinCT

RHinCT

Member
Feb 24, 2020
97
39
Connecticut, USA
#1
I'm hoping that my solar install (ordered last July) will actually start happening, so I'm reading up a bit. The instructions on connecting to the solar inverter only speak of WiFi. I have WiFi of course, but I've also run Ethernet to various places around the house, and running one to the place in the basement where the Powerwalls and inverter will be would be no big deal. I could install a jack before they get here. Does the inverter have a place to connect an Ethernet cable? Does it add any complications? Simplify anything?

Thanks!

RH in CT
 
#3
I saw this referenced as well, and while I have ethernet everywhere as well (I've somehow filled up a 24 port switch in my 4 bed home....), I also have really strong WiFi (2x UniFi 6 LR's) so I didn't bother with it.

That being said I couldn't see a RJ-45 jack anyone on the inverter or power gateway 2 internals:
 

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#4
Jedi2155 said:
I saw this referenced as well, and while I have ethernet everywhere as well (I've somehow filled up a 24 port switch in my 4 bed home....), I also have really strong WiFi (2x UniFi 6 LR's) so I didn't bother with it.

That being said I couldn't see a RJ-45 jack anyone on the inverter or power gateway 2 internals:
Click to expand...
Gateway 2 the jack is in the upper right corner.
 
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#5
Thanks, everyone!

I only installed ethernet jacks in three rooms - office, TV, stereo - with an eight port switch at each. They all run to the internet gateway, at the other end of the basement from where the powerwalls and such will live.

I found a bit more on the Tesla site:

Solar System Connectivity​

For systems installed with a Tesla Solar Inverter, the inverter is connected to the internet via Wi-Fi or Ethernet, allowing the system to communicate solar production.
Click to expand...

For systems installed with a third-party solar inverter, a Tesla Gateway is provided at installation to connect to the internet and provide solar production monitoring. The Gateway connects to your home network via an Ethernet cable and communicates with your solar inverter wirelessly. Additional instructions for installing your Solar Gateway can be reviewed in the Owner’s Manual for your system.
Click to expand...
I assume Tesla will install a Tesla Solar Inverter, but they will install whatever they install.

I sure hope this happens soon. Today I was asked to approve that the inverter / gateway / powerwalls go in the basement, where I hoped they would go. Being asked that question is the first activity I've seen in a while.
 
#6
RHinCT said:
Thanks, everyone!

I only installed ethernet jacks in three rooms - office, TV, stereo - with an eight port switch at each. They all run to the internet gateway, at the other end of the basement from where the powerwalls and such will live.

I found a bit more on the Tesla site:



I assume Tesla will install a Tesla Solar Inverter, but they will install whatever they install.

I sure hope this happens soon. Today I was asked to approve that the inverter / gateway / powerwalls go in the basement, where I hoped they would go. Being asked that question is the first activity I've seen in a while.
Click to expand...
You have input on where they install the equipment. But, getting the Ethernet cable to the location and connected to your switches/router is your problem. And in IMHO you really want to use Ethernet if at all possible. There are threads here describing glitches and not being able to get data via Wifi, but at the same time being fine on Ethernet.

Personally, based on suggestions from people here, I have turned off Wifi connections to my Gateway and gone with Ethernet only. It made all of the intermittent connection failures disappear. I actually installed a second Ethernet switch to make this happen and it was well worth the extra cost.
 
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#9
Tesla installed my system recently and I provided a wired Ethernet line at install. The install team had only used WiFi but were open to trying the rj45 jack and the system easily picked up a local dhcp ip address.

One suggestion is to wait for install to begin before pulling new Ethernet. My powerwall(s) location moved at install from the plans. Kind of anticipated it and waited to pull the cat6 until the location was final.
 
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#11
@jgleigh I couldn't agree more. After a close lightning strike, Ethernet vs. WiFi is going to be the least of your concerns.

If you do run Ethernet, use exterior grade, shielded cables.

It is generally recommended, and required by NEC, that you have suppression on cables entering the home, so it would not be out of place to put suppressors on your Ethernet inside the gateway (great ground) and back at whatever switch/router the cable feeds into. However, don't kid yourself, the amount of energy that Ethernet surge suppressors can absorb is small, so a nearby lightning strike will fry an amazing amount of equipment, but for a more distant hit may be the difference between no damage and replacing lots of electronic pieces like your Gateway control module and your router. I would suggest looking for Ethernet surge suppressors with gas tubes plus diodes or MOVs for the best protection, but most use thin traces on PCBs and thus won't dispute much energy before the board blows up.

Growing up, we lost countless light bulbs to nearby hits, and a pretty amazing selection of appliances that were off, but plugged in, including the electric stove, twice.

Related story: A family friend was out hiking, above tree line when a storm blew up. He made tracks to get off of the exposed ridge, but there were lightning strikes around him as he hustled for the forested valley below. He wasn't hit, or so he thought. When he got to the bottom of the ridge, he went to relieve himself and discovered that the zipper in his Levi's jeans and fuses into a solid bar of copper. Lucky doesn't begin to describe it...

YMMV...

BG
 
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#12
main strike hit the ground three feet from house, but it also hit the edge of the roof ridge, small hole in roof, down flashing, into gutters, down down spouts, to ledger flashing, thru screw in deck, to electrical box. under the ridge was a poe camera, well that got fried, so did the cable and the dvr which was also plugged into the house Ethernet. lightning also came in the house thru the cable and sprinkler wires. solar made it for the most part, except the diodes in 7 panels shorted out. breakers all over the house tripped and to solar.
my ground system is copper water pipes and ground rod. but i believe the earth was at a high potential, which decayed as you moved away from impact zone. in other words my ground system had voltage on it to.
the surge protectors survived, still replaced them.
most things on the Ethernet system got fired, cable modem, switches, computers, and devices... envoy was wireless and it survived, no evidence of panels being hit (burnt cells). i replaced the by pass diodes on the solar panels and they function.
deck screw was 3.5 inch stainless, melted both ends, changed the temper of the screw. it has a higher pitch ring to it, when dropping it on stone.
 
Last edited:
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#14
When I was 15, I was babysitting and was looking out the sliding glass door at the storm . A few seconds later, lightning hit the BBQ on the deck about 10 feet from where I was standing.
Yes, as a matter of fact I did almost soil my pants...
My heart was racing for over an hour.
 
#15
jboy210 said:
You have input on where they install the equipment. But, getting the Ethernet cable to the location and connected to your switches/router is your problem. And in IMHO you really want to use Ethernet if at all possible. There are threads here describing glitches and not being able to get data via Wifi, but at the same time being fine on Ethernet.

Personally, based on suggestions from people here, I have turned off Wifi connections to my Gateway and gone with Ethernet only. It made all of the intermittent connection failures disappear. I actually installed a second Ethernet switch to make this happen and it was well worth the extra cost.
Click to expand...
I haven't had issues with my WiFi so far *knock on wood*, but wireless was definitely better in my situation given that the ethernet would have to go outside, the house based on how it was configured.
 
#16
RHinCT said:
I'm hoping that my solar install (ordered last July) will actually start happening, so I'm reading up a bit. The instructions on connecting to the solar inverter only speak of WiFi. I have WiFi of course, but I've also run Ethernet to various places around the house, and running one to the place in the basement where the Powerwalls and inverter will be would be no big deal. I could install a jack before they get here. Does the inverter have a place to connect an Ethernet cable? Does it add any complications? Simplify anything?

Thanks!

RH in CT
Click to expand...
They support multiple options. At install time, I was told in advance that if I had an Ethernet cable in the vicinity of where the Gateway would be installed, they would use that. As it turns out, I didn't - so I was given an Zigbee-to-Ethernet adapter (I believe it is Zigbee but not 100% sure).

So the data flow diagram looks like:

Gateway <-> Ethernet Cable <-> AC-powered Zigbee Adapter <-> The Other End of AC Zigbee Adapter <-> Ethernet Cable <-> available port on home router.
 
#17
The standalone Tesla Solar Inverter ethernet port is disabled. Supposedly it will be enabled in a future firmware update. FWIW, I have the Tesla Solar Inverter (no powerwall) and panels and it's connected via WiFi with a pretty weak signal (-68 dBm) but I've had no issues with it so far.

It's important to note the Gateway and Powerwall+ (which has an integrated inverter) are different than the standalone Tesla Solar Inverter.
 
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